Student Sheet #1: Exploring Organism Rhythms

Name: ______Date: ______

Student Sheet #1: Exploring Organism Rhythms

Objective

Analyze the daily and annual rhythms within organisms.

Procedure

This worksheet is divided into five parts to explore patterns in organism behavior.

·  Part 1: Examining Photoperiod

·  Part 2: Exploring Spring 2015 Data

·  Part 3: Exploring Archived Data Sets

·  Part 4: Investigating an Organism’s Relationship to Day Length

·  Part 5: Going Further

Part 1: Examining Photoperiod

Photoperiod refers to the amount of sunlight an area receives. Go to the Journey North 2015 Sunlight and Seasons Information Map at http://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/photo_spring2015.html (or scan the QR code below), which shows the reported amount of day length across the United States.

Select November 1 from the top left dropdown menu (see circled location in Figure 1).

Figure 1. 2015 Sunlight and seasons information map.

What pattern do you see on November 1?

Now select May 1 from the dropdown calendar. What pattern do you see?

Part 2: Exploring Spring 2015 Data

Go to http://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/galleries/2015/spring.html (see Figure 2) or scan the QR code below. You will be exploring data collected during the spring of 2015.

Figure 2. Spring 2015 Journey North data.

Select one of the following organisms to investigate: robins, earthworms, common loons, singing frogs, or barn swallow. Note: Selecting the word “home” that appears underneath each map will lead to more information about the featured organism.

Select the map for your organism. What do the dates of the sightings tell you about your chosen organism?

Part 3: Exploring Archived Data Sets

Go to https://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/archives.html (see Figure 3) or scan the QR code to explore additional data sets and interactive maps.

Figure 3. Past seasons data from Journey North.

a.  Under the box that says “Spring 2014 Sightings,” select the link to “Spring 2014 Maps.” You will go to a page that features 22 maps, some static and others interactive. The maps represent observable events related to plants, animals, and weather. Each of the selections contains a map, a list of reported sightings, and a background page about the species.

b.  Select an organism whose behavior you would like to explore further. Note: Do NOT select symbolic monarchs, whooping cranes, signs of the seasons, or habitat projects. Select the map for your organism. For some organisms, such as the Monarch butterfly, you can filter the results by selecting various dates.

c.  Examine three years of sightings for your organism. Describe any similarities and/or differences between the maps. Things to consider:

·  Is the activity level of your species (e.g., migration) similar each year? If yes, what factors would trigger an organism to react in the same way each year?

·  Is there a specific week or month of maximum sightings?

Part 4: Investigating an Organism’s Relationship to Day Length

Using either the current season or past seasons, develop a question to explore related to an organism’s activity and day length. For example, Is there a relationship between day length and the first frog heard singing? You will then use the maps to answer your question. The maps will provide evidence for your answer.

Figure 4 is an example of how to answer the question Is there a relationship between day length and the first frog heard singing. It shows that as day length increases, more frogs could be heard singing. In addition, frogs in more northern regions begin singing later in the spring. This is due to colder temperatures.

Figure 4. Map showing data collected of frogs first heard singing.

Using an organism of your choice, develop a question to investigate to determine how day length impacts the organism. Use the maps from the Journey North website to answer your question.

a.  Your question:

b.  What patterns do you notice?

c.  What do you think is happening and why?

d.  What is your hypothesis?

e.  What did you find out when you investigated your question?

f.  What other explanations could be plausible (i.e., an alternative hypothesis)?

Part 5: Going Further

What other types of behaviors do you think are linked to day length or the amount of light organisms receive? Use the Journey North site to support your ideas. Below are some questions to consider:

a.  When did your chosen organism begin to migrate? Note: Not all species migrate.

b.  Was there a peak week during which your selected organism was spotted?

c.  Is the activity of your organism linked to the availability of food and/or habitat? For example, what is the relationship between: Monarch butterflies and milkweed? Between robins and earthworms? Between leaf out and orioles?

Extend

The study of seasonal changes shown by plants and animals is called phenology. As the climate gets warmer, organisms are moving farther north. Many plants are now blooming earlier than they used to in the past. What effect will this have on types of birds that depend on plants for seeds and fruit?